


Replaced

by Sinnocuous



Category: Persona 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 16:39:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3943936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinnocuous/pseuds/Sinnocuous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One morning, Narukami Yu woke up, but it wasn't him who woke up. Somebody else woke up as him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Replaced

**Prologue: Revelation**

Rolling around the bed, the person eventually fell to the ground.

The person groaned and held his head in pain. “Oww…!” He groaned and looked up at the ceiling. Blinking, he shook off his drowsiness and looked around alertly.

 “…how the hell did I get here?”

Standing up, he looked into the mirror and took a step back with his jaw dropped. “…w-what the hell?!”

The grey-haired teen slowly lifted his hands and touched his cheeks and then started to do strange poses before lifting the shirt he was wearing up and off of him. Looking at his bare chest, he nodded and the corner of his lips tugged up into a smile.

“…nice. I never knew Narukami Yu has such well-sculpted abs…I’m quite jealous!” He muttered before taking the uniform hanging on his door handle and buttoning himself up with them. “…dang, he does look more handsome in person than in picture! Hah!”

Walking to the calendar, the teen choked. “…a-ah?! It’s June 6…?! Shit…! I don’t remember what already happened and hasn’t happened yet…!”

Looking at the time he nodded and took his school bag that was neatly prepared and laid on the desk with him before heading down.

“Good morning, big bro!” A cheerful brunette girl cheered.

He froze before smiling at her and nodded. “Good morning, Nanako-chan.”

Nanako blinked and looked at him in confusion. “…Nanako-chan…?”

The teen’s face was the equivalent of the “OH-SHIT” expression. “O-Oh, sorry, I meant just Nanako, the –chan slipped out of me before I could-”

“Say it again.”

Big bro blinked before looking at her in confusion. “…huh?”

Nanako blushed. “I-I mean, say my name with the –chan suffix again, I don’t mind if you call me that big bro!”

“Oh, alright then, Nanako-chan!” He smiled and then sighed in relief. “So what’s for breakfast?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s boiled eggs, miso, rice and boiled fish big bro!” Nanako chirped.

The teen ended up chatting with the girl as they both ate breakfast cheerfully before cleaning up and heading out to school.

Things went by like a breeze and the grey-haired teen managed to meet up with a dyed orange-haired teen wearing headphones who cheerfully greeted him.

“Hey Yu! How are you partner?” Yu’s partner cheerfully questioned him.

Yu hesitantly smiled back at him and muttered an “I’m doing well, and you, Yosuke?”

Yosuke seems to look astonished at him before cheerfully continuing and they both were entangled in their own silly conversation towards class.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened to the grey-haired teen also known as Yu and big bro until school ended and held a meeting on top of the school roof with what we can assume is his friends.

After a personal confession and several remarks about it, Yu seemed to have relaxed and lost the tension he had previously.

They all then went towards the food court and talked there for quite a while before deciding to enter the TV. Several more things occurred but it wasn’t anything new so we’re skipping that.

For some reason, despite being exhausted Yu decided to plant several seedlings, talk to a dog gently, also pet a cat. Then after he had finished petting the cat, he decided to head out to the Aiya restaurant and chat with a blue-haired teen who gave him a small present meant for healing injuries.

Heading home, Yu yawned and waved to a cheerful Nanako who splurged him with stories of her day as they both ate dinner. After they both cleaned up, they watched some TV and once it was almost ten, Yu tucked Nanako in and turned off the lights before heading to his own room.

Looking back at the mirror as he undressed, Yu let out a chuckle before sighing happily. “Man, living life as Narukami Yu is pretty sweet! Knowing which part of the story I’m currently at make things even sweeter!”

* * *

 

**Chapter 1: The Killer?**

….

The next four days passed by without a hitch and Yu played in character. He still had no idea how he arrived here and took the original’s place, but he’s not complaining. He’s having way too much fun with it today!

That is…until he suddenly met the killer wandering casually in the shopping district aimlessly. He thought he could maybe avoid him but nope, too late. The killer noticed him.

“Hey, it’s you. Great. A student who parties at night.”

Yu looked at him blankly as he had looked at everyone else to keep in character without saying anything.

“I’m so exhausted from work... I had to talk to that old lady again.” Yu blinked, he never remembered the killer was someone you could…talk to…this was odd…maybe he forgot about it? Or…is this a different version of the game? “I’m hungry…”

For some reason, he had an urge, an urge to invite the killer to dinner and he has no idea why because he _hates_ the killer’s guts but now apparently he’s going to be having dinner with the killer. _Great_.

“Would you like to come over for dinner Adachi-san?” Yu asked him cordially.

The killer looked at him shock. “Huh? What?”

“Oh, I guess we talked about that the other day…” Yu felt himself twitch for not knowing what exactly was his relationship with the killer was  in this game…! “Umm…”

The killer looked up to his forehead in hesitation and Yu prayed to every god in existence for his offer to be rejected.

“Yeah, why not. I hear you’re quite the cook.” The killer smiled at Yu cheerfully.

He could feel his stomach drop but kept putting out a smile towards the killer anyways. “Great! Let’s head on to the Dojima’s residence then!”

Yu walked back home in silence with the killer but for some reason it didn’t feel as out of place as he had expected it to be… in fact…it almost felt quite natural…!

Yu almost wanted to puke from having such thoughts about the killer, but when he looked out at the corner of his eye, he saw that the killer was looking at him in puzzlement, Yu decided to send the killer a reassuring smile.

“Sorry…sometimes the things I think about makes me want to puke.” Yu tried to be friendly/polite.

The killer laughed at that and tutted at him playfully. “I hope you weren’t thinking about the dinner you’re preparing for us!”, and for some horrifying reason, Yu heard a familiar voice at the corner of his mind say: _Your relationship with the fool became stronger_.

He wanted to scream. Instead, he played along and chuckled denying the accusation. The killer seems to look at him in a new light.

Once they both managed to reach the front entrance, Yu coughed once he noticed the killer was about to open the door.

“Huh?”

Yu explained. “It’s locked so…give me a second to take the key out.”

Rummaging the pocket of his pants, Yu finally managed to find the key and use it to open the front door.

“Welcome back big bro!” Nanako cheerfully greeted him and then looked surprised once the killer entered behind him and close the front door. “Oh…welcome Adachi-san.”

The killer chuckled. “I see how it is, you’re happy to see your big bro than you are to see plain old Adachi-san, is that right?”

Nanako blushed with embarrassment at that. “W-What?! N-No!”

“Adachi-san, I’d appreciate it if you don’t tease Nanako-chan like that.” Yu strictly reprimanded him with a cold smile.

The killer blinked at him before smiling. “Nanako-chan, eh…? Cute.”

Yu promptly ignored that and instead gestured for the killer to sit down on the opposite end of  the table from where he took a seat on.

Watching the TV for a short moment, Yu noticed Nanako take a seat on the only pink pillow on the floor left.

“Big bro, the potatoes are still hard.” She told him before looking at the ki- no, that doesn’t make sense, referring him as the killer all the time… Adachi. There we go. To explain what’s going on. “Today, we’re having shoe!”

“Shoe? Oh, you mean stew?” Adachi looked at Nanako in puzzlement.

“Yeah, shoe… Stew!” Nanako valiantly made an effort to pronounce it correctly.

Adachi looked at Nanako and congratulated her. “Hey, you did it.”

Yu just looked on at them both having their own antics and sighed looking down. Well, at least Nanako’s happy…even if the cause was the killer’s presence.

“Do you like stew, Adachi-san?” Nanako promptly ignored his remark and asked.

“Hmm, yeah, kind of.” He politely answered. Now that Yu took a closer look at things…Adachi doesn’t seem to be used to the presence of Nanako…or just kids in general.

“Kind of?” Nanako looked at Adachi curiously.

Adachi stumbled.  “Uh…I mean…yeah, I do like it. It’s been a while since I had some.”

“So do you cook like this all the time?” The killer finally turned to look at you and suddenly you feel at odds as to how someone as idiotic looking and well clumsy as Adachi turned out to be the killer…You can’t remember the specifics as to what led up to the moment of discovering how he was the killer but you get the gist of it. “I bet Dojima-san tells you all the time what a great help you are!”

Yu blinked at the compliment. Huh…odd. He shrugged. “Nope.”

Adachi chuckled at that. “I knew it. He’s probably just embarrassed.”

Smiling, he continued. “So I heard you were moving back in the spring. I bet Dojima-san is going to cry!”

Yu narrowed his eyes at the killer for saying that since he knew that would have brought Nanako’s good mood down. And it surely did, at the corner of his eye, he could see Nanako look down sadly in silent contemplation of his inevitable move back to the city.

Ah…shit, he still hasn’t made heads or tails as to what’s going to happen once he goes “back” will he wake up to reality or will he forever be stuck as Yu Narukami even when the game ends? Shit.

The killer must have realized his mistake because he immediately apologized to Nanako with a gasp. “Uh, sorry, sorry. That’s still a long way away!”

It didn’t seem to help regain Nanako’s lost good mood though for she just simply nodded and looked at the floor aimlessly. “Yeah…”

Adachi hummed before looking at Nanako. “Umm…Hey, Nanako, have you ever seen this trick?”

Yu and Nanako both looked curiously at what Adachi was trying to do as he showed his palm with a coin on it to Nanako. The coin on his palm was a 500-yen coin…

With a small smile, Adachi told Nanako but he was also listening in to: “Now watch closely.”

Adachi clutches the 500-yen coin into his palm and shakes it up and down in his fist. “You watching?” He specifically asked Nanako but Yu can’t help but also be entranced by what kind of trick Adachi was trying to wow Nanako with. Then, he opened his palm and showed it towards Nanako and the 500-yen coin disappeared!

Yu can’t help but be amazed with Nanako as well. How did he…?!

Nanako gasped and voiced out several of Yu’s own thoughts. “What!? How!? Why!? Again! Do it again!”

Adachi smiled at her and shook his head, opening his palm towards her again. “Nah, this time I’ll show you an even better one!”

Closing his palm into a fist, Adachi looked at you, his lips straight. “Look in your big bro’s pocket.”

Shocked, you found the 500-yen coin in your pocket and brought it onto the table. ?! This is literally insane, killer or not, how the hell did he manage to do that…?! …and teach him god damn it!

“Wow! You’re the ebst, Adachi-san!” Nanako cheered, eyes closed and cheeks flushed with joy.

Yu can’t help but address his surprise out loud. “That was a surprise.”

Adachi chuckled uncomfortably at that. “I’m pretty good with my hands, so it comes easy to me.” He then looks at Nanako and seems relieved that she was smiling again…

That brought a small smile onto your lips as well.

“Maybe I should have been a magician. Then I wouldn’t be in such a—“ Yu looked confusedly at that. What…? “Uh…well.”

Huh, looks like Adachi slipped something up accidentally again but managed to stop at the last second before he completely slipped up in front of Nanako and him. Although…he seems to be looking at Yu specifically.

“I guess there’s no job like a government job. It’s not like I can make a living working with my hands.” Adachi shrugs…

Yu feels like he knows Adachi a bit more…even if he is indeed a killer…or maybe in this version of the game he’s not…?

He can only wait and see…

As usual, the rank up appears and you see that Adachi holds the Fool or Jester card, the same one as you do, and you’re on rank four out of ten with him. Huh.

…odd.

Adachi seems to have realized something as soon as the social link rank went up and turned to talk to Nanako. “That’s smelling pretty good. I think the shoe’s about ready.”

Ah…Shoe. He was intentionally annoying Nanako...!

Nanako huffed at him. “It’s STEW!”

“Shiatsu?” He playfully questioned her.

She slipped in frustration. “SHOE!”

“WRONG!” Adachi shouted back playfully with an angry face.

“No, I said it right!”

Yu laughed at how energetic Nanako seemed in a long time if ever and let them continue on with their banters as  he prepared the stew.

The three of you spent a fun evening together…

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and sleep here Adachi-san?” Yu can’t help but ask. “I’m sure Nanako won’t mind if you do. I can set up the futons in the living room and we all can sleep here.”

Adachi looked at you in surprise. “O-Oh, erm, hahah, no, it’s fine, and I’d rather not have Dojima-san slay me for having spent time with his nephew and daughter for the night without telling him…”

Yu chuckled at that. “Oh, hahaha, alright, you’re welcome here anytime though. I’m sure Nanako-chan  would love to have you back.”

He looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Oh? How about you, Narukami-kun?”

Yu looked back at him in confusion. “Hm?”

“…never mind.” Adachi seems to have backed out of his original plan of action, whatever it was. “Well, good night and see you next time then!”

“Yes.” Yu replied, the corners of your lips tugged up into a small smile. “See you then Adachi-san, have a safe trip and good night.”

After having let Adachi out, Yu locked the door and turned off the lights, having already tucked Nanako in before, Yu decided to head back to his room and sleep.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Girls outing (plus Yu)**

Before Yu even knew it, it was already the next day after school and on his way to the tofu shop to buy some tofu for dinner, he passed the Velvet Room’s blue door which he hasn’t entered in yet but unlike any other day…a girl dressed up in some sort of gothic Lolita mailwomen delivery get up stood in front of it and talked to him.

“Oh…You’re here. C’mon, let’s go somewhere.” She prodded Yu.

…It seems as though she wants to go out. Yu can’t help but feel despite not knowing her name, his relationship with her might be deepened and so he decided to spend the afternoon with the mysterious gothic Lolita mailwomen delivery girl with a choker in the shape of a lock with a key hole around her neck to wherever it was she wanted to go.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” She cheered, looking much happier than she did before. “I want to go to the “big city” this time.”

Yu took a step back at that in surprise. Eh?!

“I heard there was a bunch of things to do there. So take me.” Yu wanted to deny her request but…since he already accepted…there was no turning back now.

Although Tokyo would take way too long and the price for the ticket is quite pricey so…the closest thing to a “big city” near Inaba that would fit her description would be…Okina City.

…that train ticket fare is still pricey. Damn it! Oh well, at least it’s cheaper and closer than Tokyo.

…So Yu decided to take the mystery girl and without even once mentioning her name, dragged her to the train station to go to Okina City.

“…hey. What’s this?” She asked him and he gulped. Might as well try his best in not mentioning the fact that he doesn’t know her name.

“This…? It’s a train station.” She continues looking at him blankly. “Erm, it’s a place where you go to, to reach the “big city” via a transportation vehicle called the train.”

Yu sincerely hoped this mystery girl was not retarded.

After having to embarrassingly explain upon more mundane daily life things to who he’s starting to assume is an extremely sheltered girl how exactly the train was powered and why some people were going to different destinations, Yu was feeling extremely irritable but he manages.

“We have arrived in Okina City…please leave through the left door, thank you.” The automated call distracted him from watching the mystery girl like a hawk from not accidentally breaking things or doing something completely wacky and thus require his assistance.

“We’ve arrived.” He told her. “Let’s go.”

She nods and follows his lead as several others stepped out of the train with them and down the escalator to arrive in Okina City, in front of Okina Station…

Yu brought the mystery girl here by train to satisfy her curiosity…He honestly has no idea how sheltered the girl exactly is to not even know the common basic things of day to day life like trains.

“So this is the “city.” Hmmm…” She hummed curiously looking around what was probably the new sights for her. “Weird.” She remarked before expanding on it. “It’s a funny place. Wide, yet narrow. It’s grey and full of squares.”

Yu blinked at that…that somehow sounded poetic. Huh.

“Hey, what do you do in the city?” She asked him, her head tilted in a question like manner.

He decided to play a trick on her and shake his head. “There’s nothing to do here.”

“Really?” She looked wide eyed at you in surprise. “There isn’t? Let’s go home, then. I’m sick of trains. Let’s take a plane.”

Yu looked at her in amazement. How the hell did she know what a plane is but not what a train was before…? Unless… He’s not the one messing with her…! She is! God damn his gullibility!

But when she continues to look at Yu in anticipation, he knows for sure she’s the one who’s gullible, not him.

Before you could try to finish explaining that it was just a joke, two familiar people cladded in green and red passed them by.

“Huh, Yu-kun? …Oh, and Marie-chan!” Oh dear god, thank you so much Chie. I have never felt so happy to hear you say the mystery girl’s name…! So it was Marie, eh?

They both went to Yu and Marie’s direction and Yukiko was the first to talk.

“Hello. Um… Is she your friend?” Yukiko straightforwardly asked Yu. Wow.

Chie looked in realization at her best friend before explaining. “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t met her before, huh?”

“She’s Marie-chan. I had lunch with her once.” …Best description, ever, Chie-chan! Then she turned to introduce Yukiko to Marie. “Oh yeah, this is Yukiko Amagi! She’s our friend.”

“…Friend.” Marie slowly repeated the word as if she’s never heard of it before…

…Actually now that he thought about it, she might _actually_ never had heard of it. Dear god this girl was extremely sheltered to the point of retardation.

Yukiko seemed to immediately have warmed up to Marie once they’ve both been introduced to each other. “If she’s someone you know, then she must not be from around here, right?”

Yu wanted to say that he had no idea who she actually was and just knew her name when Chie said it but didn’t say so. Instead he simply nodded and smiled.

That always work. Nod and smile, even when you don’t know shit as to what they’re talking about.

“Did you come from the big city?” Yukiko directed her question towards Marie this time.

Chie smiled. “Ah, I get it. So that’s why you’re here in Okina City, huh?”

Yu nodded. Partially right.

“There’s diddly-squat to do around where we live, right? Yeah, I know.” Chie chuckled sympathetically. Wow, she sure doesn’t love her hometown that’s for sure.

…or maybe it’s a love-hate relationship and right now he’s learning so many thinks about Chie and Yukiko than he had before in the other version of the game.

“…and a Red one today.” Marie mumbled out loud before speaking. “What’s Green and Red doing here today…?”

“Green and… red?” Yukiko closed her eyes in insulted shock before opening them wide. “…Green and red!?” She repeated loudly this time.

Chie winced at that and closed her left eye into a pained wink. “Ah… Haha… I was wearing green last time I saw you, wasn’t I…?”

Marie looked at them both in confusion and as if sensing their insulted pride tried to reconcile immediately. Yu can’t help but give her props for the intuition despite being a sheltered and retarded person she could still do that. Interesting. “I didn’t say it was bad. You look good in those colors.”

…Although her language and word choices could have been expressed better, at least she was trying with no ill-intentions but good ones.

Both Yukiko and Chie looked at each other in surprise before looking back at Marie. Chie laughed feeling much more cheerful than before. “Oh, uh… Th-Thanks. …I didn’t think it was a compliment.”

Yukiko giggled and agreed. “She’s a nice girl. There’s no doubt about that.”

Yu wondered where his place in the middle of these girls chatting among themselves was…

“But Red Girl’s all red. Does Green Girl always wear the same thing all the time?” Yu looked at Marie in shock. Why is she calling them Red and Green Girl…?! Use their names…! Their names!

Chie winced again and looked down. “To the point as ever…”

“But she’s right…” Yukiko looked down sighing.

Marie looked at them again curiously. “No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… It’s a waste.”

She continued on trying to explain what she meant. “Humans (Yu looked at her in shock.) can change their clothes, right? You should try wearing other colors.”

Yukiko looked down worriedly. “I-Is that so…? I don’t really pick out my own outfits…”

Yu could literally hear the “So…” hanging at the edge of her lips, threatening to come out and make it sound as though she was making up an excuse for her lack of fashion sense Marie was clearly insulting whether she knew it or not.

Suddenly, Chie’s face lit up like a lightbulb when someone had an epiphany. “I know!” She cheered. “We were just on our way to get some new clothes. Why don’t you come with us, Yu-kun?”

Gah! Yu took a step back and looked at her in horror.

“You too, Marie-chan!” Chie ignored you to direct her attention towards Marie.

Yukiko looked at her best friend in worry. “Chie, they might already have plans of their own. Don’t just assume they can come along at a moment’s notice.” …aw, that was sweet and thoughtful of her.

Although she’s wrong, Yu and Marie had no plans whatsoever other than trying to explain the joke before.

“I don’t mind.” Yu replied nodding at them with a smile. Even though he actually hates shopping…especially when it’s with the opposite gender, good gracious will he survive?

…he sure as hell hopes so.

They then looked at Marie who still haven’t given her thoughts.

“H-Huh?” She looked at them unsure as to how to respond. “I…don’t mind.” Marie answered closing her eyes as she did so and Yu can’t help but feel as though he was being copied…not that he minded of course…it just irked him…just a tiny teeny little bit…

Okay. So maybe he did mind, but he really shouldn’t because it’s just over a stupid little thing.

Chie fist pumped. “All right, then! Let’s get going!” She cheered.

The four of you walked into the clothing store called Croco Fur by the Okina Station.

Yu looked around as Chie and Yukiko were having fun looking for clothes zooming around the shop while Marie simply stared at them.

“Come on!” Chie called to them. “Hey, how’s this shirt? Don’t you think it’s a good color?”

Yu can’t help but sweat drop at her choice of attire… It was a green shirt.

“That’s green…you know?” Yu pointed it out to her.

Marie nodded agreeing with him. “Yeah, it is.”

Chie looked shock at them before looking down at the green shirt she was holding before embarrassingly admitting it out loud. “Whoa, you’re right! Why do I keep buying myself green clothes!?”

Brushing the embarrassment off in ease, she questioned Marie. “Marie-chan, what’s your favorite color? Don’t tell me… blue, right?” Chie guessed looking at the color that stood out the most from Marie’s gothic Lolita mailwoman delivery get up.

“Er, I don’t really have one…” Marie quipped.

Chie stated her surprise and Marie backed off and looked worriedly at her.

“Hey!” Yukiko softly called out to them. “What do you think of this skirt? Is it too mature for me?” She asked them.

Yu turned to look at what skirt she was holding in the grasp of her hands and it was…

A crimson skirt.

… Fuck it.

“I think it’s good.” Yu gave her a thumbs up.

Marie looked away from Chie and looked at what exactly was going on before sweat dropping. “Yeah… but it’s red.”

Yukiko chattered. “ I see. So, wearing a single color isn’t in? I like to keep things simple…”

“Yes!” She chirped. “Thank you. I’ll try exploring. Away with simplicity!”

…Yu isn’t sure whether inspiring Yukiko to try new things was good or bad…it had to be good right…? Right?!

Marie looked surprised at Yukiko’s cheerful reaction. “Oh… Well, okay.”

He is starting to get worried whether or not Marie says such things on purpose to rile others up…

Chie looked away from the table of clothes and looked to the shelves filled with shoes and you had a feeling she was going to pick the pair of green high heels on the bottom…

“Oh!” Yu heard Chie chirp. “What about this? Does this say,  “me”?”

Marie took one look at what Chie was staring and sighed. “…Green again?”

Yu can’t help but sympathize with Marie’s pain.

“Hey!” Yukiko swiftly turned around and giggled. “How about this one? Away with simplicity!”

Marie turned her head to the right and disapproved. “There’s too many colors. I’m getting dizzy.”

“This skirt’s cure!” Chie’s turn. “It would go well with… How’s this?”

Marie looked at Chie’s decision as did Yukiko who came to take a look and Yu simply stared at it from where he is and noticed that Chie selected a yellow shirt and blue skirt…

The two colors that would result into green when mixed together. Genius.

“At least it’s not green…” Marie noted.

“Wait…But, yellow and blue…make green, right?” Yukiko seems to have realized the same thing he realized just a moment ago.

 Everyone sweat dropped at the declaration and silently stared at Chie judgingly.

Chie laughed awkwardly. “Oh. Ahahaha, you’re right. Maybe it’s some kind of instinct…?”

Marie looked at Chie in surprise. “You’re not doing it on purpose…?”

That did it, Yu cracked a laughter similar to one of Yukiko’s mayhem and muffled his laughter with his hand slapped to his mouth. “S-Sorry…!”

The girls glared at him for a split second before exploding into a mass of chatters and giggles about the whole thing. As the girls continued to chat between themselves, Yu took a quick look around and saw the beret on top of the circular shelves and decided to purchase it as a present and requested it be wrapped.

“Oh? Yu-kun, you’re buying a present? Who is it for?” Chie asked him, it seemed like she slipped out of Marie and Yukiko’s discussion about one of the colorful dress Yukiko chose that had hurt Marie’s eyes before.

“…a special someone.” Yu teased her.

“H-Huh?! Yu-kun you have a girlfriend?!” Chie shouted out loud and he looked at her in horror. She was…going to start a rumor with this isn’t she?!

Yu furiously shook your head as a no and immediately cleared up the misunderstanding. “It’s just a joke geez. It’s actually for Yosuke…since his birthday is on June the twentieth-second, I thought I might as well buy something for his birthday…you know?”

He chuckled nervously as the penetrating gazes of the three girls lingered on him before they immediately started to chat and think of better presents than his lame idea of getting Yosuke a beret. Yu twitched at that before looking away indignantly, he’s sure Yosuke would love the beret he chose!

…he’s sure of it!

In the end only he and Yukiko came out not-empty handed.

Yukiko decided on buying the crimson skirt before and the god-awful vomit of rainbow color dress that Marie warned her to not get and a present for Yosuke: A brown fedora.

Yu looked at Yukiko before snickering and had his head slapped by her shopping bag.

It was fun while it had lasted and Chie and Yukiko finished their shopping and returned to the station with Yu and Marie.

“…” Marie looked at them in silent contemplation.

Chie comically slumped down and immediately stood straight back up and whined. “Why were they only out of stuff in my size…?”

“It can’t be helped. Let’s go back sometime later. They might have some new inventory by then.” Yukiko tried to ease her best friend’s pain with a smile.

“Why don’t we all go together, then? The four of us!” Chie cheered, looking expectantly at Marie and Yu.

Yu nodded and smiled. “Of course.”

They all then once-again stared at Marie who confusedly stared at them back. “Huh…? Me, too? Why?”

“Huh?” Chie looked confusedly back at Marie. “Er, why? Because we’re friends?”

“Really?” Marie looked at them shocked. “…Friends? We are? Since when?”

Chie looked hurt at that and flinched worriedly in shock. “Wait... didn’t you have fun!?”

“W-Was I bothering you today? …And last time, too…?” She looked worriedly back at Yu and Marie in confusion.

Yu and Marie both shook your heads.

“Huh? No, you weren’t bothering me. I was just asking about why you said “friends.”” Marie tried to explain what she meant again.

He sighed and looked at the three girls. …Here we go.

“…What does it mean to become friends?” Sheltered to the point of retardation, Marie, folks! She’s Marie and has questions!

Now, Chie is seriously looking at Marie as if she was well…sheltered to the point of retardation, pretty much the same way he’s been looking at Marie as. “Well…I don’t really know. The meaning of friendship..? Hmmm…”

Yu decided to intervene and help cut Chie some slack with dealing with Marie’s unintentional hurtful and confusing remarks. “You’ll know once you have one.” Yu told Marie.

“Yes…I believe there is meaning.” Yukiko piped in. “There are things you can’t do by yourself that you can do together with others.”

“Like today. We had you to help us choose our clothes.” Yukiko elaborated in the case Marie needed an example. Which was a smart choice on her part because Marie is currently looking down in deep thought at Yukiko’s words.

“I…don’t get it…After all…” Marie managed to say those words with a pained and longing expression, looing sideways to Yu’s direction.

Shit. She looks like she’s going to cry…!?

“I almost forgot! There’s a DVD I wanted!” Thank god for Chie. Twice in a row, she is literally a gift from god in avoiding awkward confrontations by being a really, _really_ good distraction and giving aid. “Let’s hurry! It’ll sell out!”

…although sometimes he wonders if she does it not on purpose but by simply being herself…if so…props to her!

Yukiko looked at Chie and sweat dropped. “It’s a kung fu movie, right? …I doubt it will sell out.”

YUKIKO. Yu internally screamed. GET THE HINT.

“Enough talk! Come on, everybody! Hustle!” Chie cheered before sprinting away with Yukiko walking calmly after her.

Yu and Marie both stared as they both were out of view before looking at each other.

Marie seems to have sensed your intention by staring into her eyes because she asked the same question she’s asked whenever others stare at her. “Huh…? Me too?”

Yu nodded and smiled. “Let’s hurry.”

Marie looked away in confusion, the main emotion she’s been expressing for the first couple hours you’ve known her. “I don’t get it. …It’s not like I don’t wanna go, though.”

She seems perplexed, but not against the idea…

“Hey, those two are Persona-users, right? They’re “chasing after the truth” with you, huh…?” She blurted out the question out of nowhere that he almost choked on air…if that was even possible, the correct word choice should have been choked on his own saliva but…oh well.

Yu nodded regardless of the fact you almost died choking but continued to listen to Marie self-contemplate and go on a monologue of sorts. “You can’t do that on your own, but you can do it together? Because you’re friends…?”

It seems Maries is wondering about what Yukiko said…

He feels like he understands Marie a bit more now…

The card appeared and Yu almost choked again. Aeon?! …Marie of all people is represented with such a card…?! Wow…! And huh, Yu’s social link with the killer is a rank better than Marie’s rank of three…that should be fixed…soon!

“Hey! Pick it up you two! Move, move, move!” Chie yelled at you two, snapping both of your heads up to look at the direction of her voice. …she was quite a ways ahead of you both with Yukiko by her side, both of them halted in the middle of their tracks to call for them.

Yu looked at Marie and she nodded back at him, he stood and let Marie walk in front of him first before walking behind her and the both of them walking towards both Yukiko’s and Chie’s direction.

At the corner of his eye, Yu noticed Marie smiling to herself and he smirked at that and grabbed her wrist before sprinting off after Green and Red…

Heh. That nickname Marie gave to them both is quite endearing after all… In fact it’s reminding him of power rangers…huh.

Yukiko and Chie must have figured out what he was trying to do and sprinted off as well before he and Marie could catch them.

“H-Hold…o-on!” Marie rasped behind him. “I said hold on damn it! StupidjerkIhateyou!”

Yu blinked at that and stopped in the middle of his tracks before slowly turning his head back and looking questioningly at Marie. “…tsundere?”

She looked back at him in confusion before he shook his head and waved indicating to ignore it. Of course Marie wouldn’t know what tsundere meant…she was sheltered to the point of retardation although…HOW THE HELL DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT PERSONAS AND CHIE AND YUKIKO BEING USERS OF THEM AS WELL?! AHHH, THIS VERSION IS SO GOD DAMN MIND BOGGLING.

Oh well, he calmed down as he slowed down and walked in silence with Marie by his side as Yukiko and Chie stopped in front of a DVD rental shop, leaning to the wall exhaustedly, gasping for breath. The more surprises, the less boring it is for him.

After looking around Okina City with everyone, Yu  escorted Marie back in front of the Velvet Room’s door and bid farewell to her. Before Yu could go, Marie looked confusedly at him.

“You’re not…You’re not going in, Yu-kun?” Marie questioned Yu and for some reason hearing her call him Yu-kun is making him blush… even though he knows for sure she's copying Chie.

NO. HE IS NOT GOING TO FALL FOR A SHELTERED TO THE POINT OF RETARDATION GIRL DAMN IT!

…even if she is admittedly quite cute…

NO GODDAMNIT FOCUS NARUKAMI YU, FOCUS, EVEN IF THAT’S NOT YOUR REAL NAME! YOU’RE NARUKAMI YU NOW AND UNTIL WHENEVR YOU WAKE UP BACK INTO REALITY!

Instead, he suppressed the chaos ready to blow up in him and asked her intelligently. “Huh?”

“…The Velvet Room, dummy. Geez. Did all of the running deplete you of your oxygen to think or something?” Okay. Scratch that, Marie doesn’t look attractive anymore.

“Oh, right.” Was his elegant reply.

Opening the door for her, he saw a glimpse of Margaret and Igor staring at him in surprise.

“Ah…it seems that our guest has been replaced with someone else…” Igor curiously stated looking at you.

…Aw shucks. There’s no way he can escape this, can he?

As if to answer the question in his mind, the door closed and pushed him  into the Velvet room.

“…hi.” He waved at Igor and Margaret, ignoring Marie’s curious burning gaze on him.

“We require a full explanation… _now_.” Margaret snapped at Yu.

He gulped…well, time to let the cat out of the bag. 

**Author's Note:**

> Did not edit at all. Worked on it for a couple hours (4 hours?) straight without break...my back hurts. ,_, I hope you don't mind the errors lol!
> 
> Not done with chapter three...I also have no idea how to separate the chapters from one another... I'll fix it once I discover how lol! See ya and have a pleasant day everybody! 
> 
> Criticism harsh or not and pointed out typos/spelling errors/information errors/plot line errors/grammar errors are welcomed! :)


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